John, it seems we may think along similar lines relative to the probable if not real decline in the reduction in the availability of spares as a section of the classic car market declines.
While I may struggle to remember whether or not I put sugar in my tea a few minutes previously, I do remember circa 1969 ish, a time before the Classic press appeared on news stands, when old cars were thought of as bangers, and it was generally thought that it was the make do and mend brigade who ran those old bangers as an affordable hobby. Car Mechanics being the magazine which provided much of a support system for old car enthusiasts and provided much of my early education as I transferred across to four wheels from years of reading Motorcycle Mechanics mag.
I remember the then editor of Car Mechanics had taken on a project of restoring a Jaguar XK 150, and such was the degree of rot on one of it`s doors that it was deemed to be well beyond repair. apparently he was both surprised and delighted to find an old stock yet new door at a Jaguar dealership in either Inverness or Aberdeen at the time, and reported that it was probably the last door of it`s type available in the UK...
How things change when today there would seem to be craftsmen a plenty who could create an XK 150 door from a bare sheet of metal, but then no need, as with the passage of time I suspect you can buy every body panel for E types if not XK Jags from specialist suppliers. The name Rubery Owen comes to mind as having purchased or recreated original presses and formers from motor manufacturers at the end of line..?
It seems with the appearance of Classic status for old bangers was proclaimed by the then (1972?) arrival of the magazine Classic Car on the news stands, which turned bangers into Classics almost overnight, not only that but with the addition of assumed investment potential, and from that grew into a booming industry backed by the arrival of disposable income for the baby boomer generation which a few years later became the easy money years boosted by Thatcher`s deregulation of the banks and boosted classic car values ever higher, around which a whole restoration industry was created to supply parts...
I suspect that the values of average Classics were and are directly linked to the baby boomer generation, though top end and rare Classics seem to now be regarded as works of art might be, thus would seem to attract well heeled investors, whereas even E Types in other than as new, or more likely better than new condition, would seem to be struggling to find a buyer at anything like the value they were at perhaps five or ten years back..?
I suspect we may well be witnessing the end of an era created by baby boomers....? As for fast Fords, I suspect they might have a life cycle of perhaps another ten years, until time catches up with their aficionados....?
It seems possible that the MMC may think along the lines of pushing the brand further up the income scale to attract more wealthy individuals....? I hope it works as a strategy keeping all the folks employed at the MMC doing all that they do, and well into the future...
